News / National
'Chiwenga's ex-wife holding Miss Zimbabwe World at ransom'
10 Jan 2024 at 11:33hrs | Views
THE embattled ex-wife of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been accused of holding the Miss World Zimbabwe pageant at ransom.
Industry insiders and experts have called on the former model to "let go" of the licence, which permits her to curate and oversee the holding of the pageant.
She took over from Kiki Divaris as patron of Miss Zim Trust in 2012. At the time, there was general excitement and opinion that she would revive the pageant. However, the last Miss World Zimbabwe event was held in 2018 and was won by Belinda Potts.
In 2019, Mubaiwa and Chiwenga fell out in a nasty divorce. Harare-based modelling instructor and director of Size Four agency Wilbert Rukato, also weighed in on the matter.
"It feels like the current licence holder is withholding the licence, it is extremely unfair and it's like holding the country and the modelling industry at ransom. Miss World is the most prestigious pageant in the world and the absence of Zimbabwe sends a wrong message to all aspiring local models and the world at large," he said.
Some of the models groomed by SizeFour agency are Nokuthula Mbuli (2001) and Phoebe Monjane (2002), who both scooped the prestigious title.
"Their lives were transformed after winning the flagship Miss World Zim. We need to have it back," Rukato said.
Miss Rural founder Sipho Mazibuko echoed similar sentiments.
"As the oldest modelling mentor and expert, I naturally become the godmother and patron of the Zimbabwean modelling industry bearing 35 years' experience under my belt. I feel it's time Marry let go of the licence to someone while she battles her legal and health woes. "We empathise with her but she mustn't hold Zimbabwean models at ransom," she said.
"I hear she has turned down suitable applicants over the years. If she doesn't act we will take our case to the Miss World organisation because what she's doing is not fair at all."
Former Miss Zimbabwe Lorraine Maphala said the pageant will never become useless.
"I'm not sure if Marry is holding on to it or there are just no takers for the license, Miss World is a business, therefore, it will always be relevant if packaged well. It is beneficial to all stakeholders," she said.
This publication made attempts to get a comment from Mubaiwa to no avail.
Contacted for comment, Marry's father Kenny Mubaiwa advised Standard Style to call her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
"Call her lawyer, she is the one who handles things," Mubaiwa said.
Mtetwa could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.
Industry insiders and experts have called on the former model to "let go" of the licence, which permits her to curate and oversee the holding of the pageant.
She took over from Kiki Divaris as patron of Miss Zim Trust in 2012. At the time, there was general excitement and opinion that she would revive the pageant. However, the last Miss World Zimbabwe event was held in 2018 and was won by Belinda Potts.
In 2019, Mubaiwa and Chiwenga fell out in a nasty divorce. Harare-based modelling instructor and director of Size Four agency Wilbert Rukato, also weighed in on the matter.
"It feels like the current licence holder is withholding the licence, it is extremely unfair and it's like holding the country and the modelling industry at ransom. Miss World is the most prestigious pageant in the world and the absence of Zimbabwe sends a wrong message to all aspiring local models and the world at large," he said.
Some of the models groomed by SizeFour agency are Nokuthula Mbuli (2001) and Phoebe Monjane (2002), who both scooped the prestigious title.
"Their lives were transformed after winning the flagship Miss World Zim. We need to have it back," Rukato said.
Miss Rural founder Sipho Mazibuko echoed similar sentiments.
"I hear she has turned down suitable applicants over the years. If she doesn't act we will take our case to the Miss World organisation because what she's doing is not fair at all."
Former Miss Zimbabwe Lorraine Maphala said the pageant will never become useless.
"I'm not sure if Marry is holding on to it or there are just no takers for the license, Miss World is a business, therefore, it will always be relevant if packaged well. It is beneficial to all stakeholders," she said.
This publication made attempts to get a comment from Mubaiwa to no avail.
Contacted for comment, Marry's father Kenny Mubaiwa advised Standard Style to call her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
"Call her lawyer, she is the one who handles things," Mubaiwa said.
Mtetwa could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.
Source - The Standard
